On Thursday, January 23rd, Dr. Kristy Janigo and I appeared before the Senate Taxes Committee to discuss my bill to relieve American Legion’s and VFWs from paying property taxes, beginning next year. Property tax expenses pose a major challenge  to these veterans’ organizations around the state that are struggling to keep their doors open, including Post 102 in Anoka.

They should not have to pay property tax. These posts are important places of refuge for our Minnesotan Veterans to gather and relax, while also serving as meeting places for birthdays, weddings, and celebrations of life. These organizations use their posts to hold veteran suicide prevention trainings with VA partners and to meet with veterans to help with their VA benefits claims and walk veterans through applying to our state veterans homes.

The American Legion Department of Minnesota has a total of 531 posts, but more than half of their posts already do not have buildings. Of 260 that do have buildings, several are struggling and at risk of closing in the future. The communities of Stillwater, Marshall, Northfield, Waite Park, Coon Rapids, and a number of others in the metro area have all had to sell their buildings to survive in the recent past. We need to take action now to provide relief to these important organizations.

If you are interested in watching the discussion you can do so here.

Disability Services Cuts

Fresh on the heels of a record $18 billion surplus, Minnesota now finds itself facing a predicted $5 billion deficit. And even with the addition of billions of dollars in tax increases, Minnesota is back in budget crisis mode.

Listening to Gov. Walz we are led to believe that we must blame the deficit on “budget-breaking” costly children with autism and expensive persons on disability waivers. In reality, the needs of those persons, while complex and pricey, make up a very small fraction of the state budget and their needs are profound. My advice: Leave these people alone. They face enough challenges in their lives without being blamed for spending decisions far from their control.

We need to adequately and prudently fund the very things Minnesotans rely on: hospitals, nursing homes, services for seniors and persons with disabilities, and medical transportation for needy persons getting blood transfusions and dialysis.

There is now significant work to be done to give Minnesotans a state they can be proud of and take care of those entitled to much-needed care. It can be done. And we can do it without blaming youth and adults fighting life-altering challenges.

You can listen to my comments on this important topic during a recent Health and Human Services Committee here.